SANFL 19OO-1959

1877-1905
The comp was SAFA [South Australian Football Association]

1906-1925
The comp was known as SAFL [South Australian Football League]

1926 -NOW
The formation of the SANFL as we know it today

It was a period affected by 2 world wars
There were no comps in :
1916-1918
1942-1944

PREMIERSHIPS WINS 1900-1959
1 Glenelg
8 North Adelaide
11 Norwood
17 Port Adelaide
2 South Adelaide
5 Sturt
6 West Adelaide
4 West Torrens

By 1950 Norwood had actually won the most Premierships for the century [11]
Port were on 10 before their golden era of 7 flags [1951-54-55-56-57-58-59]

5 clubs won their first Premierships during the 2oth century
1900 North Adelaide
1908 West Adelaide
1915 Sturt
1924 West Torrens
1934 Glenelg

The other 3 clubs won their maiden Premierships  in the 19th century
1877 South Adelaide
1878 Norwood
1884 Port Adelaide

Lovely article in the press


ARCHIBALD snow PARTRIDGE
Turned 100 years old in 2016
Snow played 5 games for the Legs
31-7-19-23-11
Those 5 numbers are not bingo or lotto numbers
They are the 5 numbers snow wore in his 5 matches for Norwood
5 matches 5 different numbers in a career from 1940-1945

Current Norwood players visited Snow
Sam Baulderstone
Jarryd Cachia
Michael Chippendale
Ben Jeffries

They gave Snow a team photo from when he played
Also they gave snow a Norwood guernsey
The guernsey given applicably had number 100 on the back
Great gesture by the Norwood players and the Norwood Football Club , and whoever else was involved

Lovely gesture, well done by the Redlegs. I wonder if anyone else had a different number for every match they played.

MAGAREY MEDALS

1898 Alby Green [Norwood]
1899 Stan Malin [Port Adelaide]
1900 No medalist
1901 Phil Sandland [North Adelaide]
1902 Tom MacKenzie [West Torrens]
1903 Hendrick Waye [Sturt]
1904 No medalist

No Medals awarded in 1900 + 1904
Why is it so ?

DICK JONES

Here is a press release pre-season 1952
The journalist was Keith Butler

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
* Dick Jones, 25 year old rover, has signed to play for Glenelg this season
Jones a former Western Australian was a member of the Boulder City team which was coached by Jack Broadstock in 1948
He transferred to South Melbourne in 1949 and after playing throughout the season with the league side returned back to Kalgoorlie in 1950 , but it was back to South Melbourne last year
Jones has been living in the Glenelg district for several weeks
Club officials do not expect any hold up in his clearance*
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dick Jones ends up playing then  staying in South Australia
He played the 1952 season with the bay men
He didnt front up for the 53 season, he became a policeman
He captain coached West Torrens in 1957
WT missed finals in 1956
Under Jones they played in the First Semi Final against Norwood and lost by 7 points


Jones retired as a played but coached again in 1958
In 1958 West Torrens missed the finals finishing 5th[ 4 finalists in 1958]
Once again they could not get past Norwood
Both clubs finished on 7 wins and a draw
Norwood 47.12 scrappyed in by % over West Torrens 46.96
In the last minor round game
Norwood beat Glenelg by 77 points
West Torrens beat Sturt by 16 points
Ultimately if Dicks former SANFL club Glenelg had performed much better he might have coached West Torrens to back to back finals appearances

COMMENTATOR
Dick Jones was a very affable very entertaining SANFL commentator
I can recall a segment called around the grounds on radio
This was when the station would cross to the other grounds for score updates and comments
The 'cross' went over to Dick Jones ,it went something like this
" Dick whats the crowd attendance at your game"
Dick responded
" Ive seen more people at a scene of an accident ."

" I did my best work for Sturt in the bedroom."

By
Hartley Bagshaw
Sturt footballer 1939-1946
Father of Paul Mr Magic Bagshaw

Scrappy wrote:" I did my best work for Sturt in the bedroom."

By
Hartley Bagshaw
Sturt footballer 1939-1946
Father of Paul Mr Magic Bagshaw

That's classic statement.

1908... West, Premiers and Champions of Australia (d Carlton)
1909... West, Premiers
1911... West, Premiers and Champions of Australia (d Essendon)
1912... West, Premiers
Aaah the good old days where we backed up the next year.

1908

Prelim Final
WA...1-3...3-7...3-10...6-15 [51]
NW...2-0...2-1...2-4.....3-6 [24]

Grand Final
WA...0-0...3-4...4-4...7-10 [52]
NW...3-7...4-7...5-9...6-13 [49]

Dont know how it worked out that the Prelim + GF games were played by the same 2 teams

I know its 108 years later but I have to get this off my chest
West played home games at JubiLEE Oval [2] and Adelaide Oval [5] for their 7 home games
In the last 3 minor round games they played at Adelaide Oval
Then played 3 finals at Adelaide Oval
That gave West 6 games in a row at Adelaide Oval
Grrrr....

7 teams in the comp
There were byes
There were 14 rounds played
Minor round finish was
NW
WA
PA
NA
WT
SA
ST

The ovals used in 1908 were
Adelaide
Alberton
Hindmarsh
JubiLEE
Norwood
Unley

Round 7
WT...1-5...2-8...6-8...7-12
ST...1-4....2-6...5-9...6-11

That 7 point loss was the closeST ST got to winning a game
ST were win less for the season

for those who aren't dinosaurs like me, Hindmarsh oval is the same 'oval' that is now Hindmarsh Stadium (yeah i know it has a sponsors name to it) that Adelaide United play most of their home games at.................................it was once the home ground of West Torrens before they shifted to Thebarton oval

Scrappy wrote:1908

Prelim Final
WA...1-3...3-7...3-10...6-15 [51]
NW...2-0...2-1...2-4.....3-6 [24]

Grand Final
WA...0-0...3-4...4-4...7-10 [52]
NW...3-7...4-7...5-9...6-13 [49]

Dont know how it worked out that the Prelim + GF games were played by the same 2 teams

7 teams in the comp
There were byes
There were 14 rounds played
Minor round finish was
NW
WA
PA
NA
WT
SA
ST

Until 1931 the SANFL (known as SAFA until 1907 and then the SAFL until 1927) gave the Minor Premier the chance to challenge should they lost the Final. If they challenged the final became the Preliminary Final and the next week became the Grand Final otherwise the Preliminary Final retrospectively became the Grand Final.

Norwood lost the Final in 1908 so they used their right to challenge. They challenged but lost again so West were Premiers.

I know that in 1927 and 1930 the Minor Premiers won the flag after having used their right to challenge.

Good incentive to be the Minor Premier
The reward being a double chance

Scrappy wrote:
5 clubs won their first Premierships during the 2oth century
1900 North Adelaide

I know that I am being anal Scrappy but 1900 was actually the last year of the 19th century. Every historian I have ever read agrees that given that there was no 0 A.D. that every century ends at the end of the 100th year. Hence the 21st century started on 1st January 2001. Australia became a nation on the first day of the 20th century, January 1st, 1901.

1989 GRAND FINAL

PA 5-5...9-7...11-11...15-18 [108]
NA 0-2...0-3....1-6.......1-8 [14]

A lot of ridicule and embarrassment after that 1-8 [14] effort
Some NA supPORTers have had to put up with the indignity ever since

1905 GRAND FINAL

NA 1-1...2-7...4-7...6-8 [44]
PA 1-1...1-1...1-2...1-6 [12]

The PA 1-6 [12] is the lowest SANFL Grand Final score
If you supPORT North , you needed to know or be reminded of the 1905 Grand Final

Scrappy wrote:1989 GRAND FINAL

PA 5-5...9-7...11-11...15-18 [108]
NA 0-2...0-3....1-6.......1-8 [14]

A lot of ridicule and embarrassment after that 1-8 [14] effort
Some NA supPORTers have had to put up with the indignity ever since

1905 GRAND FINAL

NA 1-1...2-7...4-7...6-8 [44]
PA 1-1...1-1...1-2...1-6 [12]

The PA 1-6 [12] is the lowest SANFL Grand Final score
If you supPORT North , you needed to know or be reminded of the 1905 Grand Final

Yes. I have won money on the fact that Port hold the record for the lowest Grand Final score.

That Port late 1980s defence was impassable.

What did Norwood score against it the year before in the second semi final?

This is a footy story not SANFL
It was in an excellent article in the Advertiser

26/8/1950

LAKE TYERS......43-17 [275]
NOWA NOWA.....11-10 [76]

Ronnie Edwards was the Lake Tyers full forward
Edwards kicked 43-12 by himself
Dunno what job Ronnie had, perhaps he was a Farmer

Maybe Nowa Nowa should have put all 18 blokes on him!

Chambo Off To Work We Go wrote:Maybe Nowa Nowa should have put all 18 blokes on him!

or at least called for a count !!!

1908
WA 8-13
NA 6-10

WA 6-15
NW 3-6

WA 7-10
NW 6-13

1909
WA 7-18
WT 3-7

WA 8-18
NW 5-8

WA 7-17
PA 6-5

1911
WA 8-11
ST 6-2

WA 7-11
PA 4-11

WA 7-9
PA 6-10

1912
WA 8-7
ST 3-6

WA 9-9
PA 6-10

WA 6-10
PA 5-2

1913
WA 3-6
NA 8-14


Thats West Adelaides finals scores from 1908-1913
1908
WA 8-13
NA 6-10
That was West Adelaides first ever participation in a SANFL final

Incredibly they won the first 12 finals they played in 1908-1912
Unlucky 13 in 1913 was the first time they lost a SANFL final when NA stopped that amazing winning finals sequence of 12 in a row

In those 12 wins they only scored more goals than points on one occasion [8-7 in 1912]

1939 SANFL Grand Final

PA...2-11...8-18...14-13...16-28
WT...1-0.....5-1.....7-5.....11-11

Claude Greening played for Port Adelaide
Claudes daughter mothered Norwood footballers Brett , Paul and Roger James

Claude Greening wore the number 20 for Port Adelaide
Roger James, his grandson, wore number 20 for Norwood

Port Adelaide won the 1939 Grand Final by 47 points
Claude Greening played 47 games for Port Adelaide

Life would never be the same for some of the players that played in this Grand Final
That included Claude Greening who went to fight in WW2

Scrappy wrote:1939 SANFL Grand Final

PA...2-11...8-18...14-13...16-28
WT...1-0.....5-1.....7-5.....11-11

Claude Greening played for Port Adelaide
Claudes daughter mothered Norwood footballers Brett , Paul and Roger James

Claude Greening wore the number 20 for Port Adelaide
Roger James, his grandson, wore number 20 for Norwood

Port Adelaide won the 1939 Grand Final by 47 points
Claude Greening played 47 games for Port Adelaide

Life would never be the same for some of the players that played in this Grand Final
That included Claude Greening who went to fight in WW2

Good point Scrappy. Three of Claude's premiership teammates were killed in World War 2. We all know the exploits of Port's 1939 Premiership captain, Bob Quinn, but Port's vice captain from that flag, Lloyd Rudd was the first SANFL player killed in World War 2. Like Quinn he fought in the Middle East and was killed in what is now known as Lebanon on 14th June, 1941. Then on 2nd August, 1941, George Brock was killed in a flying accident in Laverton, Victoria whilst serving with the RAAF.

The other 1939 premiership player who was killed in World War 2 was Max Carmichael. Max or Bobby as he was often known had reached the rank of Lieutenant when he was killed in New Guinea on the 2nd July, 1945. How poignant when you think that the atomic bomb heralding the end of World War 2 was dropped on Hiroshima 5 weeks later on 6th August 1945. When Max was killed the war in Europe had already finished, league football with all 8 teams had recommenced and Bob Quinn was back playing for Port Adelaide and about to win his second Magarey Medal.

https://theportresspafc.wordpress.com/2015/02/16/1939-south-australian-national-football-league-premiers/


At the bottom of that link is a team photograph of the 1939 Port Adelaide team

This would be purely guess work
Claude Greening is sitting 3rd row down , 5th person from left to right ?

I can see Bob Mclean 2nd row from the top in the middle
I can see why he was called Big Bob Mclean

The link has listed  Max Carmichael as being Port Adelaides 2nd best player in the GF
He later unfortunately died in WW2,unluckily just as the war was ending as posted by RIG.


44885 attended that Grand Final
It was the highest attendance of all Grand Finals played at that stage

1915 GRAND FINAL

ST 2-1...3-5...6-7...6-10
PA 3-1...3-4...4-5...4-10

It was Sturts first ever Premiership
13,043 people attended + others and  perhaps saw the greatest goal kicking performance in a SANFL grand Final
Sturts Bill Noal kicked 5-5 and beat PA by himself

Sturt finished 4th in the minor round
In 12 Minor Round matches they totaled 638 points for
In 3 Finals matches they totaled 151 points
In total they scored 789 points in 15 matches
Rounded up that averages out to 53 points per game

That Bill Noal could score 35 points by himself in a Grand Final when the team averaged 53 points for the season is truly remarkable
And he was listed as playing as a rover that day

Scrappy wrote:1915 GRAND FINAL

ST 2-1...3-5...6-7...6-10
PA 3-1...3-4...4-5...4-10

It was Sturts first ever Premiership
13,043 people attended + others and  perhaps saw the greatest goal kicking performance in a SANFL grand Final
Sturts Bill Noal kicked 5-5 and beat PA by himself

Sturt finished 4th in the minor round
In 12 Minor Round matches they totaled 638 points for
In 3 Finals matches they totaled 151 points
In total they scored 789 points in 15 matches
Rounded up that averages out to 53 points per game

That Bill Noal could score 35 points by himself in a Grand Final when the team averaged 53 points for the season is truly remarkable
And he was listed as playing as a rover that day

did you make it to that game ? i couldn't, as i was crook

rocket_rooster wrote:

Scrappy wrote:1989 GRAND FINAL

PA 5-5...9-7...11-11...15-18 [108]
NA 0-2...0-3....1-6.......1-8 [14]

A lot of ridicule and embarrassment after that 1-8 [14] effort
Some NA supPORTers have had to put up with the indignity ever since

1905 GRAND FINAL

NA 1-1...2-7...4-7...6-8 [44]
PA 1-1...1-1...1-2...1-6 [12]

The PA 1-6 [12] is the lowest SANFL Grand Final score
If you supPORT North , you needed to know or be reminded of the 1905 Grand Final

Yes. I have won money on the fact that Port hold the record for the lowest Grand Final score.

That Port late 1980s defence was impassable.

What did Norwood score against it the year before in the second semi final?

From a very rusty memory I think Port beat Norwood in the 88' 2nd Semi 10.17 to 2.5. Beautiful sunny day, perfect weather for football. Those Port teams were ridiculously hard to score against.